beforehand or, if that was impossible by Killing him or wrecking
The apparatus beginning of the attack.
at the
that pirates are careful not to attack a
ship if there is a patrol vessel anywhere nea:
If, therefore, a wireless signal were sent
when an attack occurred, sufficient time
would elapse before the patrol vessel could
come up to enable the pirates to get away
with their loot or at any rate to get posses- sion of the ship. Even if a patrol vessel
did come on the scenes before the pirates
had got away, what could it do short of
sinking a ship? - a remedy which would be
worse than the disease. In any case the
by pirates would probably make sure of bribing
the wireless operator or at any rate would
out the aerial before attempting to attack.
Sir G. Grindle suggested that if a
convenient form of automatic wireless apparatus
were produced the more reputable ships would
in any case carry it for their own protection;
and if the installation were made compulsory
the expense of installing it might act as a
further deterrent to the disreputable ships
coming on the British register.
6
Sir E. Stubbs thought, however,
that before it could be made compulsory for
a ship to instal and carry wireless apparatus,
it would be necessary for such apparatus to
beobtainable at a reasonable price, and an
expenditure of £50 would certainly not keep
one of these ships off the register.
It was however arranged that the
Board of Trade should inform the Colonial
Office when a decision had been reached as to
the